Yossi Benayoun: The featherweight footballer who packed a punch

Former Liverpool favourite Yossi Benayoun played the final game of his career the day before his 39th birthday. ‘The Kid’ is an inspiration to featherweight footballers around the world.

It was a fitting way for Benayoun to bow out. Wearing the captain’s armband, hearing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ echo around the stadium, his wife and kids wearing his old jerseys from past clubs.

That his side lost 3-2 on the night is hardly relevant.

It is relevant and fortunate, however, that the midfielder has five children, because after playing in so many different kits over two decades, Benayoun needed several bodies to model them.

In fact, the quintet of Benayoun children were only able to represent the English contingent of their father’s old clubs: West Ham, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and — to the likely confusion of Beitar Jerusalem supporters — Queens Park Rangers.

Benayoun’s wife wore a Racing Santander shirt, while four other Israeli clubs went unrecognised.

Seeing the multiple ‘Benayoun’ shirts side by side was a visual reminder of just how much of an impact the player had — in so many places.

Yet of the teams represented by those antique jerseys, perhaps none were as conducive to Benayoun’s skills as Liverpool.

Over three seasons at Anfield, the Israeli became something of a cult hero, running his socks off while scoring a number of crucial goals. A header against Real Madrid, one of the player’s “favourite goals”, was an obvious highlight.

VIDEO | On This Day in 2009 a Yossi Benayoun header gave Rafa Benitez's Liverpool a 1-0 win against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. #LFC pic.twitter.com/NAogm4EZbY

— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) February 25, 2017

Liverpool was also where he made an improbable piece of history,